How many times can you sin and pray for forgiveness?

Does the cycle of sinning and praying actually encourage sin, since you can just sin and pray for forgiveness?

It's said that to break the cycle of sinning and repenting, one must have a contrite heart, because a contrite heart will win over the sin. The sin can't go on forever. Eventually exhaustion will set in and you can't commit the sin anymore.

What do YOU think?

Mtchewwww

zboyd:
How many times can you sin and pray for forgiveness?

Does the cycle of sinning and praying actually encourage sin, since you can just sin and pray for forgiveness?

It's said that to break the cycle of sinning and repenting, one must have a contrite heart, because a contrite heart will win over the sin. The sin can't go on forever. Eventually exhaustion will set in and you can't commit the sin anymore.

What do YOU think?

This is exactly one of the great contradictions of religious faith that I grappled with while growing up.
The concepts and cycles of sin , prayers and forgiveness makes no sense whatsoever.

plaetton:


This is exactly one of the great contradictions of religious faith that I grappled with while growing up.
The concepts and cycles of sin , prayers and forgiveness makes no sense whatsoever.

If one truly hates the sin...yet continues to sin and repent...sin and repent...sin and repent...it may not be a spiritual matter...but a psychological matter.

Time for a psychologist maybe?

zboyd:


If one truly hates the sin...yet continues to sin and repent...sin and repent...sin and repent...it may not be a spiritual matter...but a psychological matter.

Time for a psychologist maybe?

Exactly.

A psychologist tells a patient anything as long as it gets them better,bu what he tells them may necessarily not be true. It seems repeated repentance is a psychological cure or remedy for those who believe in Sins. The self hate and guilt of offending an imaginary being could be atoned or corrected by asking them to ask for forgiveness constantly. If that would keep more mad people from the street,i did go with it.

ifeness:
A psychologist tells a patient anything as long as it gets them better,bu what he tells them may necessarily not be true. It seems repeated repentance is a psychological cure or remedy for those who believe in Sins. The self hate and guilt of offending an imaginary being could be atoned or corrected by asking them to ask for forgiveness constantly. If that would keep more mad people from the street,i did go with it.

First, it's highly unethical for a psychologist to deliberately misguide his or her patient. This is not to say that there aren't unethical psychologists who abuse their positions - because some do that very thing. It's all about the money. And, over here, in the States, unethical psychologists can be sued for malpractice, if it's found they were less than ethical when dealing with their patients.

Second, when it come to emotional problems, the sin and repent cycle is generally ineffective.

Third, a consultation with a reputable psychologist could reveal an emotional problem prayer can't cure.

Fourth, an emotional problem is vastly different from a mental illness which requires a psychiatrist who may prescribe some heavy duty drugs to restore a sense of normalcy in the affected patient. Emotional problems are usually not permanent. Mental illness (madness) is usually permanent but manageable with medication.

Note: In some Christian circles, people with mental illnesses are thought to be possessed by demons and could be subject to exorcism.